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Russian Ark

Original title: Russkiy kovcheg
  • 2002
  • Not Rated
  • 1h 39m
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
21K
YOUR RATING
Russian Ark (2002)
Home Video Trailer from Wellspring
Play trailer2:17
5 Videos
77 Photos
DramaFantasyHistory

A 19th century French aristocrat, notorious for his scathing memoirs about life in Russia, travels through the Russian State Hermitage Museum and encounters historical figures from the last ... Read allA 19th century French aristocrat, notorious for his scathing memoirs about life in Russia, travels through the Russian State Hermitage Museum and encounters historical figures from the last 200+ years.A 19th century French aristocrat, notorious for his scathing memoirs about life in Russia, travels through the Russian State Hermitage Museum and encounters historical figures from the last 200+ years.

  • Director
    • Aleksandr Sokurov
  • Writers
    • Boris Khaimsky
    • Anatoli Nikiforov
    • Svetlana Proskurina
  • Stars
    • Sergey Dreyden
    • Mariya Kuznetsova
    • Leonid Mozgovoy
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    7.2/10
    21K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Aleksandr Sokurov
    • Writers
      • Boris Khaimsky
      • Anatoli Nikiforov
      • Svetlana Proskurina
    • Stars
      • Sergey Dreyden
      • Mariya Kuznetsova
      • Leonid Mozgovoy
    • 193User reviews
    • 82Critic reviews
    • 86Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 10 wins & 15 nominations

    Videos5

    Russian Ark
    Trailer 2:17
    Watch Russian Ark
    IMDbrief: 'Outlaw King' & Most Epic Tracking Shots in Film History
    Clip 3:59
    Watch IMDbrief: 'Outlaw King' & Most Epic Tracking Shots in Film History
    Russian Ark Scene: Additional Scenes
    Clip 4:14
    Watch Russian Ark Scene: Additional Scenes
    Russian Ark: Featurette
    Featurette 6:16
    Watch Russian Ark: Featurette
    Russian Ark: B-Roll
    Featurette 2:20
    Watch Russian Ark: B-Roll

    Photos77

    Russian Ark (2002)
    Russian Ark (2002)
    Russian Ark (2002)
    Russian Ark (2002)
    Sergey Dreyden in Russian Ark (2002)
    Sergey Dreyden in Russian Ark (2002)
    Sergey Dreyden in Russian Ark (2002)
    Sergey Dreyden in Russian Ark (2002)
    Sergey Dreyden in Russian Ark (2002)
    Sergey Dreyden in Russian Ark (2002)
    Sergey Dreyden in Russian Ark (2002)
    Russian Ark (2002)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Sergey Dreyden
    Sergey Dreyden
    • The Stranger (The Marquis de Custine)
    Mariya Kuznetsova
    • Catherine The Great
    Leonid Mozgovoy
    Leonid Mozgovoy
    • The Spy
    Mikhail Piotrovsky
    • Self (Hermitage Director)
    David Giorgobiani
    David Giorgobiani
    • Orbeli
    Aleksandr Chaban
    Aleksandr Chaban
    • Boris Piotrovsky
    Lev Eliseev
    Lev Eliseev
    • Self
    Oleg Khmelnitsky
    • Self
    Alla Osipenko
    Alla Osipenko
    • Self
    Artyom Strelnikov
    • Talented Boy
    Tamara Kurenkova
    • Self (Blind Woman)
    Maksim Sergeev
    Maksim Sergeev
    • Peter the Great
    Natalya Nikulenko
    • Catherine the Great
    Elena Rufanova
    • First Lady
    Yelena Spiridonova
    • Second Lady
    Konstantin Anisimov
    • First Cavalier
    Aleksey Barabash
    Aleksey Barabash
    • Second Cavalier
    Ilya Shakunov
    Ilya Shakunov
    • Third Cavalier
    • Director
      • Aleksandr Sokurov
    • Writers
      • Boris Khaimsky
      • Anatoli Nikiforov
      • Svetlana Proskurina
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Shot in a single take. The first three attempts were cut short by technical difficulties, but the fourth was successful.
    • Goofs
      Many extras look to the camera and they quickly return to a default mark.
    • Quotes

      The Time Traveller: Sir. Sir. A pity you're not here with me. You would understand everything. Look. The sea is all around. And we are destined to sail forever, to live forever.

    • Connections
      Edited into Catalogue of Ships (2008)
    • Soundtracks
      Mazurka
      (from opera "A Life For The Tsar")

      Music by Mikhail Glinka

      Performed by Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra

      Conducted by Valery Gergiev

    User reviews193

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    A living history museum comes to life on film
    "Russian Ark" is an extraordinary docu-drama approach to bringing architectural history alive. It brings the "living history" approach of "Colonial Williamsburg" etc. to cinema.

    It would have been enough that the director got extensive access to the Hermitage Museum in Petersburg to show it to us.

    It would have been enough to have authentic costumes, choreography, and make-up for several centuries of Russian history. (I was reminded that my husband's grandmother was a young seamstress for rich folks like these, making this extravagant lifestyle possible.)

    It would have been enough to have literally a cast of thousands because how else can one really know how those fantastic ballrooms and grand staircases were meant to be used and seen without a full orchestra and gowned and uniformed participants as far as the camera can see?

    It would have been enough to come up with a cute gimmick of a time-traveling two-some to glide us through the rooms of the Hermitage to show the tsars, aristocrats, curators, and ordinary Russian tourists who have passed through over the years, with humorous commentary on Russia's changing relationship with Europe over these centuries as shown through the art and architecture of the building while wars and revolutions loomed outside.

    But then, it would have been enough that it's all done in a single take over just an hour and a half with luscious cinematography.

    There was a slow line to get in the theater so I missed the opening historical background, and I've learned most of my Russian (let alone European) history from novels and movies so I did get a bit lost here and there wandering the corridors of history, but the unseen narrator posits that this is all a dreamscape anyway.

    I made a point of seeing this because a fellow cinephile who I frequently bump into at my local arthouse had directly called the distributor asking when it would be playing elsewhere and was told they can't afford to make more prints available so one can only see it at the Manhattan theaters -- so make a point to see it on a movie screen and not just wait for when the History Channel shows a reduced version.
    helpful•4
    0
    • noralee
    • Dec 28, 2002

    Top picks

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 19, 2003 (Russia)
    • Countries of origin
      • Russia
      • Germany
      • Japan
      • Canada
      • Finland
      • Denmark
    • Languages
      • Russian
      • Persian
    • Also known as
      • El arca rusa
    • Filming locations
      • Winter Palace, St. Petersburg, Russia
    • Production companies
      • The State Hermitage Museum
      • The Hermitage Bridge Studio
      • Egoli Tossell Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $3,048,997
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $29,022
      • Dec 15, 2002
    • Gross worldwide
      • $8,690,168
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 39 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.78 : 1

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